Finding killers is Calgary Police Detective Janice Maidstone’s job, for now, but her parents want her back on the short-grass prairie in southern Saskatchewan to take over the ranch. Janice must choose between the police service in a job she loves, or the life as a rancher to carry on the family legacy.
The decision hangs over her head while she and her partner investigate their latest case involving a pregnancy, a playboy fiancé, a greedy business partner, and a jealous bride.
Editorial Review
Nancy M Bell
The Aquamarine Necklace is great read. The murder of a local restaurant owner sets our detective off on a complicated search for justice that takes her behind the scenes of the restaurant business. Ms. Beswick does a wonderful job of combining excellent writing with the gritty business of solving murders while sticking to the laws. Our heroine is not our typical detective, but a lovely mix of tough cop with certain vulnerabilities underneath. A must read.
A stirring coming-of-age family saga about resilience, forgiveness, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and child
Living in the vast beauty of the Saskatchewan prairie, fourteen-year-old Eden English finds herself pregnant and unwilling to name the father. Her parents send her to a maternity home in the city where she is forced to give up her newborn daughter for adoption.
Years later, Eden is trapped in an unhappy life marked by poverty, addiction, and haunting visions of a child she feels certain is in danger. When a chance encounter sparks new hope, she is determined to rescue the little girl who was stolen from her.
Eden’s dramatic search for her daughter—and the unexpected friendship and love she finds along the way—is set in the 1970s, when women’s roles and rural communities in Canada were slowly but inexorably changing with the times.
Editorial Review by Nancy M. Bell
Eden's Daughter by Katherine Maitko 5 Stars
Teenage southern Saskatchewan farm girl, Eden finds herself pregnant and fighting to keep her unborn child. It's the 1970's and unwed mothers are not looked upon with any favour in the small farming community. Eden's parents insist she have an abortion, but Eden is convinced her unborn child is a daughter and there is no way she is going to terminate this pregnancy. She bolts from the hospital and hides on the streets of Regina before returning to her family the next day. Instead Eden finds herself in a home for unwed mothers. She is determined to keep her daughter, but politics and some underhanded dealings conspire to take that choice away. Eden goes on with her life but is plagued with dreams of her daughter living in less than desirable conditions. Her quest to find and reclaim her daughter is wonderfully depicted in Matiko's sensitive and evocative text. A must read.
It is 1803 at the Hudson’s Bay post of York Factory and fifteen year old Elias Gunn faces a dilemma. His grandfather wants his sons and grandsons to accompany him inland to Fort Edmonton to deliver the supplies the men at the fort will need to survive for a year. Elias has heard the stories about the months’ long, arduous trip by York Boat and has no desire to go. But he is forced to agree by his Uncle Jonas. Elias’ nemesis, his cousin, Nathaniel, who continuously picks on Elias, is also going. But he finds there is more than just rowing the boat in store for him.
Martha lives with her family in the Cree village near Fort Edmonton. She is waiting for Nathaniel to return and marry her so she can realize her dream.
Editorial review by Renee Duke
5* COMPELLING TALE OF A GRUELLING JOURNEY
With the recent demise of the famous Hudson Bay company adding to its relevance, this YA novel is one that will easily hold the attention of teens interested in how goods were transported to and from various outposts back in the early 19th century, as well as those who might wonder if they would be up to such a challenge. Well written and meticulously researched, West To Fort Edmonton is sure to have readers feel as though they are making the arduous cross-Canada trip right along with the young, definitely not-happy-to-be-there, protagonist, Elias Gunn.
Mike Gouchie is an Indigenous Nashville Country Recording Artist.
Over his musical career he’s had the privilege of opening for country legend George Jones on a cross Canada tour and has shared stages with Alan Jackson, Lonestar, Billy Currington, the Neville Brothers, Jo Nichols, and many others.
He has lived the kind of life most only sing about.
A ten-time award-winning Country Recording Artist with deep Indigenous roots, Mike’s journey through the highs of the spotlight and the lows of life behind the curtain is as real as it gets. In Shattered Glass, he shares his raw and riveting story—an unfiltered look at the pursuit of a dream in an industry that rarely plays fair.
From standing ovations to slammed doors, from almost making it to almost giving up, this memoir is a heartfelt tribute to resilience, faith, and the power of never letting go. Along the way, Mike lets you in on the backstage moments, the near-misses, and the personal struggles that shaped the man behind the music.
Because sometimes, the ones who almost made it are the ones with the most powerful story to tell.
A dedication to those who fell short on fame, yet remain large at heart
Mike Gouchie is an Indigenous Nashville Country Recording Artist.
Over his musical career he’s had the privilege of opening for country legend George Jones on a cross Canada tour and has shared stages with Alan Jackson, Lonestar, Billy Currington, the Neville Brothers, Jo Nichols, and many others.
He has lived the kind of life most only sing about.
A ten-time award-winning Country Recording Artist with deep Indigenous roots, Mike’s journey through the highs of the spotlight and the lows of life behind the curtain is as real as it gets. In Shattered Glass, he shares his raw and riveting story—an unfiltered look at the pursuit of a dream in an industry that rarely plays fair.
From standing ovations to slammed doors, from almost making it to almost giving up, this memoir is a heartfelt tribute to resilience, faith, and the power of never letting go. Along the way, Mike lets you in on the backstage moments, the near-misses, and the personal struggles that shaped the man behind the music.
Because sometimes, the ones who almost made it are the ones with the most powerful story to tell.
A dedication to those who fell short on fame, yet remain large at heart
Editorial Review for Shattered Glass, by JD Shipton
Editorial Review
JL Cartwright
Mike Gouchie is a ten-time award-winning Country Recording Artist with deep indigenous roots and his musical journey is filled with the exciting highlights and soul tearing low lights of his experiences as he travelled the road that brought him to such places as being the opening act for George Jones's Canadian tour, and sharing stages with Alan Jackson, Lonestar, Billy Currington, the Neville Brothers, Jo Nichols and many more.
A breathless adventure story of courage and survival in a warming climate, from the multi-award-winning author of Refugee 87
Yutu lives in a remote Arctic village with his elderly grandmother. Their traditional way of life is threatened by the changing snow and ice, which melts faster every year.
Bea is trying to adapt to yet another new school. Worse still, her father's new job takes up any spare time, and his behaviour has become odd and secretive. On a trip she hopes will fix things, their fates take a drastic turn and Bea's life becomes entwined with Yutu's in a way she could never have imagined.
Together, they become locked in a desperate race for survival.
Will be reading them all. Sounds like a great roundup
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